TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2015.
STRESS
Physical or emotional strain or tension; worry; anxiety; a response of the body to a stimulus such as pain or fear, that disturbs a person mentally or emotionally.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Mark 1:35.
People all around us seem to be stressed about situations they are facing daily. Medical professionals tell us that stress is a killer. But really we cannot escape stress because the very nature of our lifestyle today brings about stressful situations.
Therefore, what we need to focus on is not the situations but how are we going to handle such situations. Many people try to escape their stressful situations by resorting to drugs, medications, alcohol, sex, gambling, or anything else that brings temporary relief from a situation of stress they are facing. Unfortunately, none of these methods are effective. We can assure you that the ultimate solution to every stressful situation you may face comes from God.
Jesus experienced stress, but He knew exactly how to handle it. Large crowds of people came from all parts of Palestine to hear Jesus preach and to seek healing for their diseases or to have demons cast out. Jesus is concerned about us and He does not ignore the needs of those who come to Him.
Everywhere Jesus went large crowds followed. In Mark 3:9 the crowd was so large that Jesus told the disciples “to have a boat ready for Him lest the crowd crush Him.” And in verse 20 we read that He went to a house but the crowd gathered so that He and His disciples could not eat. He always got away from the stressful situation and went somewhere alone to pray.
After feeding the 5,000 Jesus needed a break from the stress of the crowd and in Luke 9:18 we find Jesus praying alone. Jesus took time to pray. He needed time to talk to God alone. If Jesus needed time alone with God, how much more do we need it?
The Apostle Paul, after he was dramatically saved, he was under real stress from guilt he felt because he persecuted Christians and now was a follower of Jesus. So after his conversion he headed for a wilderness desert in Arabia to seek solitude with God. We can read about this in Galatians 1:17. When we are under stress, time alone in prayer with God is vital and He will set us free from stress.
The Lord wants us to be alone with Him for two primary reasons. Because God created us in His image, He wants us to develop a relationship with Him. No other creature on earth was given this privilege by God. In fact solitude, being alone with God, is the only way we will cultivate an intimate relationship with Christ which will provide the strength and faith we need to overcome any stress we may face.
Being alone with God will also prepare us for the events we will face ahead of us. This is why we should spend time alone with God every morning so we can experience God’s reassurance presence in our daily walk. When we are alone with God we need to first, read God’s Word and listen to what He is saying through the Word. Secondly, communicate to God through prayer. This should be a time to focus on being more sensitive to the Lord’s presence not on our needs and requests.
There are so many benefits for us personally when we spend time alone with God. It will make our busy days more fruitful. It will equip us to face a tough day including trials, heartaches and burdens. It will strip us of our pride, protect our health and make a difference in our relationships with family, friends and others. And most important it will give us peace and joy, greater strength and a new trust in God.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 53:6.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Help me to handle the stress in my life by spending more time with You alone. May the benefits You bestow upon me be overwhelming and make me humble before You.
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